Alice Unwound
by composingcrab
Summary: When Alice hires MacCready, the last thing she expects is to connect with the mercenary. However, there's always a catch. The woman out of time will have to heal from the past in order to move on with her future.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

MacCready was alone, with only a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of vodka to keep him company. He was used to this way of life, even if it meant his body suffered from it. None of it mattered anymore, he figured. It wasn't like it ever did matter. The world had long ended before his life began twenty-three years ago. Now it was all about survival, so MacCready had attempted to make the most of it. He tried to carve a life for himself and the people he cared about, but it was all a feeble attempt. As long as he had remembered, the world was an irradiated, unforgiving place that ate guys like him for breakfast.

He draped his slender body on a sofa, in the VIP lounge of the Third Rail. Goodneighbor was on the same crime spree since he'd made the town his home a few months ago, but it was really the only place he could go.

He shakily lit a cigarette and held it in between his teeth, when a gun jolted him forward.

After the initial shock, he wasn't startled. Instead, he was annoyed. Winlock and Barnes were standing in front of him, acting much tougher than they actually were. He wished it could be the same way for all gunners, or else he wouldn't be in this mess.

"I was wondering how long it would take your bloodhounds to track me down, Winlock." He addressed, the cigarette still positioned in between his teeth. He didn't flinch as the gun was in his face. This wasn't the first time a gun was pointed at him, and it wouldn't be the last, "It's been almost three months. Don't tell me you're getting rusty."

He remembered the rifle on his back, and wondered if it was time to put it to use, "Should we take this outside?"

Winlock was a gruff, ugly man anyways, but the facial tattoos didn't do him any favors, "It ain't like that. I'm just here to deliver a message."

MacCready was growing tired of this; tired of trying to fight men like the two standing in front of him. Tired of always losing. He stood up, but since he was relatively short he couldn't make perfect eye contact with the large men, "In case you forgot, I left the Gunners for good."

They gave the same threats as they always did. They warned him that they would fill his body with bullets if he kept taking jobs in the Commonwealth. While they were up in his face, demanding things they would never receive, MacCready heard someone that wasn't either gunner.

"Are you sure you want to…" The male's voice trailed off as soon as it started, so MacCready assumed this person had taken the hint that the lounge was occupied and left. At least, that was what he hoped.

When the conversation with Winlock and Barnes was over, MacCready glanced up to see a very attractive woman standing in the doorway with an odd, machine-like man behind her. The two gunners hadn't quite left the room yet, so they thought it would be a wise idea to see what kind of chance they had with the beauty.

"Turn around so I can see that tight little ass of yours," Winlock growled, reaching to grab her butt.

The woman was not phased at all, but instead caught his wrist and gave it a painful twist, "How about you turn your little ass right on out of here before I use it for target practice?"

The robotic man's voice matched up with the one MacCready had heard a couple of moments earlier, which caused a lump to form in the back of his throat, "You don't want to pick a fight with this woman, fellas." The man agreed, tugging on his trench coat with a metal hand.

The gunners left without a fight, and MacCready hoped that these two peculiar strangers would follow their lead. All he wanted to do was drink alone in the only room of the Third Rail that wasn't overflowing with bar fights and overdosing drifters. But this woman and her robot were still here, and she approached him with no intention of flirtation. This was somewhat of a letdown, because he was hoping that if he made any contact with her it would result in a good time.

"Look lady, if you're preaching about the atom, or looking for a friend, you've got the wrong guy," He found himself saying, "If you need a hired gun, then maybe we can talk.'

She studied him with intense, somewhat crazed blue eyes. She was slightly taller than him, but more curvaceous, "Luckily for you, I need exactly that."

The robot's wires were almost coming out of its head, but that didn't seem to faze him. He interjected, "Is this going to be the sort that you take up with?"

She turned towards him, running her fingers through her short dark brown locks in a way that MacCready tried not to find alluring, "Always so protective of me, Nick. Even when I've saved your sorry metal behind too many times to count."  
His glowing yellow eyes flickered. "Since I know you can only communicate with aggression I'll let that slide. But as your friend I am concerned about your well-being," He argued.

She arched her brow. MacCready noticed how she appeared to be analyzing every single detail before speaking, "I understand Nick, but you said yourself that you need to go back to Diamond City to take care of things with the agency. I'd rather hire a merc than aimlessly explore the Commonwealth by myself."

He let out a sigh, even though MacCready was certain that robots didn't need to breath. Still, Nick seemed to be more human than the few other machines he'd come across, "Okay, just keep your healthy cynicism. I don't trust this one with the reputation he has."

MacCready rolled his eyes. It seemed he couldn't go to feet without his reputation being brought up. Sure, he wasn't the nicest guy, but he wasn't a monster. He just happened to have a talent with a sniper rifle.

She gave him a wry yet beautiful smile, "You know me Nick, I always will. Head out when you're ready. There's probably a desperate wife trying to track down their cheating husband somewhere."

A chuckle escaped his mouth, as he pulled his human friend into a quick hug. He'd never seen a robot hug a human before. It was almost as if he didn't know he was a machine, but instead a man trapped in a metallic figure, "There always is. Take care of yourself, my dear. Don't do anything too crazy."  
He exited the room, which left MacCready alone with the mysterious woman, "I'm curious about who those assholes were." She spoke quizzically, her arms crossed.  
He informed her about the Gunners and briefly went over a couple bullet points of his current situation, even though he knew even disclosing that much information was a risk. He didn't know what kind of person she was, and that could jeopardize his chance of employment. She didn't seem deterred by any of this, however. This could've been another cause for concern. She appeared to be stoic, calculated. She struck him as a femme fatale of sorts, who was more than willing to make him her next victim.

"What about you?" He asked her, "How do I know I won't end up with a bullet in my back?"  
Her full, pink lips formed a wicked grin, "You don't. That's part of the risk, right? However, if I pay good money to hire you, wouldn't it be a bit stupid of me to gun you down? I could do that for free if I really wanted to, hotshot."

There were a few bad things that could be said about this woman. She seemed aggressive, manipulative, begging for trouble, but she was much smarter than anyone else in Goodneighbor, "Can't argue with that," he took a breath, trying to keep eye contact instead of checking out the gorgeous body that was underneath her road leathers, "I'll tell you what. Price is 250 caps… up front. And there's no room for bargaining."

She narrowed her eyes, converting her voice into a sultry purr, "Everything's negotiable. How about two hundred? If I end up liking you I'll give you a generous cut of whatever I make."  
He tried to study this woman half as intently as she was studying him. He wanted to stand his ground, but this woman was just too hot to handle. He needed to remain professional. He saw how she handled those gunner goons, and she also had an arsenal strapped on her back, "You drive a hard bargain, but you just bought yourself an extra gun, boss."

She laughed a bit, "Don't flatter me with pleasantries. Call me Alice. Let's get out of this dump before another one of the gunners comes back for your debt."

He just nodded, as he figured this would be a strictly business relationship. He wouldn't call her Alice. He would call her boss, just as he had called all his other clients. It didn't matter that she was a pretty girl, because he was getting paid for his services. It wasn't like they'd ever be friends.

He had never been more wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Two weeks passed following his boss around, and MacCready would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. She always had a witty remark to say to everything, which was wildly entertaining to watch as she paved a trail of confused individuals.

He realized how few bullets he was actually using on this job, because she could wield a .44 pistol in a way he'd never seen before. He could blink his eyes before shooting his own gun, but then realize the body had already fallen to the ground.

She'd make a _tsk, tsk_ sound, and tease him every time. She always said something along the lines of, "Beat you to it, hotshot."

She was just as charming as she was deadly. She seemed to make friends in all the right places. For instance, when she visited Hancock in the Old State House to look for work, he ran his mouth about his story, and how he'd taken a rare radioactive chem that turned him into a ghoul. Although MacCready respected Hancock as the mayor, he had to admit he sounded like an idiot. It was obvious that part of the reason was because he was so smitten with the boss, but if she picked up on it she didn't seem to care.

"All of that chem use really prepared you for a career in politics." She commented with a devilish smile.

Hancock was flustered, but still managed to make a compelling argument that he was on the same level as every other Goodneighbor resident that way.

She chuckled, "It's all in good fun, brother. In fact, after I scout out Pickman's Gallery I'd like some whiskey along with my payment."  
MacCready rolled his eyes as Hancock winked one of his sunken-in, dark eyes, "As long as you're drinking it with me, I believe we have a deal."

She kept her promise, as they drank and discussed philosophy the next day as MacCready sat on the edge of the couch, cleaning his favorite sniper rifle.

There was never a dull moment, as it seemed that everyone required her assistance. She always took the job, whether it was out of the kindness of her heart or because of the sheer amount of caps that were offered to her he didn't know. She never disclosed any information about what she was doing, and he knew better than to ask questions.

They visited Nick in Diamond City, and the two spent a good three hours going over his most recent case. Sure, they cut up and joked around, but it was clear that the boss had some serious insight on the man who had disappeared.  
"You should've been a detective instead of a lawyer," Nick told her, which was something that confused MacCready. He wasn't sure what a lawyer was, but he had remained silent throughout this whole conversation and wasn't about to start asking questions now.

"If only we could turn back time." She remarked, appearing somewhat sad. MacCready had never seen her show any sort of emotion, really.

Nick placed a mechanical hand over her small, pretty one, "I'm sorry to bring that up."

"It's fine," she dismissed abruptly, "What's important is that I just did your job for you, so you'll get paid for no work. It's my way of paying you back, for everything you've done for me."

Not long after that, they left the agency. There were so many questions he wanted to ask his boss. He wondered why she was upset when they mentioned a time machine. He wondered what a lawyer did. But he fixated on the question that was least likely to get him fired.

"So are you and Nick…" He began. Not that he cared if they were, but it seemed like they were awfully close. Even if they weren't, it was clear Nick wasn't opposed to being with this gorgeous woman.

Clearly, she felt differently as she laughed a bit at the thought, "Nicky is basically my grandfather." She dismissed, "He's my closest friend, but that's never been a thought that I've entertained. Now, unless you're going to ask if I'm sleeping with the scavver I bought medical supplies from this morning, we better get moving."

They were going to leave the city, before they were approached by cute Diamond City reporter Piper Wright. She appeared to know the boss as well, as she met her with a friendly smile, "Hey Blue, the copies of that article are really selling."

"Knew they would," the boss responded slyly, "It was a very interesting topic. It's almost like I helped you write it."  
The girl grinned as she twirled the dark hair that branched out from underneath her red cap, "Am I grateful for that or what?"

Piper's large, hazel eyes met MacCready, as this was the first time she noticed him there, and she frowned, "What are you doing with this killer?" She frantically asked.

He was about to lose his temper, before the boss stepped in to calmly explain, "I know you and Nick are swamped, and I didn't want to travel alone. Thought I'd hire someone almost guaranteed to keep me alive."  
Piper gave a heavy scoff, "Like you need it. There are better people to pick, Blue."

He furrowed his brow. This girl wouldn't last an afternoon out in the wasteland, and she was here telling the boss who she should choose to travel with. Instead, she had a cushy job here in the big city, where she trash-talked politicians for a living. Sure, she was cute, but that was her only skill as far as he knew of. Her paper only made people mad, instead of entertaining anybody.

"Sorry, princess. I didn't know that fu… freaking everyone had to do everything your way!" He exploded.

The boss delicately placed a hand on his shoulder for a few seconds. This was the first time she ever touched him. It sent him a clear message to calm down, "I decide who I travel with, Piper, not you. Besides, we're all killers. He happened to get paid to do it. Give him a chance."

Piper gave the boss an awkward glance, "I'd just watch my back if I were you."

"You can't afford not to out here," she agreed.

He walked away with the boss, but as he stared into the bowl of noodles that she had paid for, he had to realize she was the first person who ever came to his defense.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

MacCready never had an issue with the way the boss did things before, until she joined Henry Cook in filling Trish's body with bullets. He kept calm as Henry thanked her, and announced he was leaving the Commonwealth. She was joking with the older man, completely fine with the death on her hands. After negotiating a deal with Paul Pembroke, MacCready could no longer keep it in.

"You're such a bi… bad person you know that?" He erupted, trying to find out why she would ever be _that_ ruthless with Trish. In retrospect, he had to cut her a little bit of slack, because Trish had pulled the gun on her and Henry Cook first. Still, he knew Trish from Goodneighbor. She was involved in shifty business, but so had he and the boss. There was no need to gun her down like that, and it seemed like everyone else was commemorating her for it.

It didn't help that she wasn't phased at all by her employee's concerns, but instead brushed it off, "You always know to hit me where it hurts." She responded sarcastically, mimicking a dagger with a finger, poking her chest, "Why does it matter? You're a merc. You've killed people for less important things."

"I don't gun down ghouls for fun, though." He argued, wincing at how stupid he sounded. She hadn't exactly gunned the woman down for kicks, but he couldn't quite explain why else this made him so angry. It's not like Trish was ever kind to him. In fact, sometimes she would purposely drive away his clients in Goodneighbor by informing them on his work with the gunners. He almost thought about teaching her a lesson once, although it didn't involve killing her.  
His boss won the argument, "She was going to put a bullet in between your eyes. Now, if she was going to negotiate there could've been a different outcome."  
She quickly scavenged the body and removed a crumbled piece of paper from one of Trish's pockets, "Marowski's chem lab," She read it, somewhat singing the words on the page, "Looks like we've hit the jackpot."

She was about to share the plans with him, but he objected to seeing them. He wanted to be in on making a profit, but there was another issue that he hadn't mentioned to the boss before. He couldn't read. He knew the woman well enough to know she'd only insult his intelligence if she found out. She was used to having conversations with eloquent, refined men of power like Hancock, not illiterate idiots who only knew how to aim a gun and shoot.

"I don't want to deal with any of your stupid scheming!" He yelled, pushing the paper away from him, "It's bad enough you killed a woman!"  
"To save your sorry ass," She explained slowly, tucking the note in her pocket, "I don't care if you come with me or not, but the alternative is going back to Sanctuary and listening to Preston's tirade about self-righteous deeds for the eight millionth time."

He would rather shoot himself in the foot than do that, and she knew it, "Fine, but keep your trigger to yourself, you wackjob."

She usually seemed amused when he showed her attitude, but she acted differently now, "Don't call me that." She reprimanded firmly.

He forgot this was his boss. He saw the opportunity to get the upper hand for once, "Why not? You're one crazy bi... broad."

She looked him dead in the eye. She had always been so calm and collected. He'd never seen her this upset, "That keeps you alive and employed, you arrogant piece of shit."

She didn't say another word, but instead headed over to the chem lab. She didn't seem to care that he treaded a few steps behind her the entire way.

When they got to the building where the chem lab was supposed to be, his stomach turned as a few ferals staggered towards them. Just the putrid smell of tissue decay was enough to set MacCready off, but when he heard the deep, inhuman growls coming from them he froze. He revisited one of the most traumatic events of his life and couldn't even think to touch his gun.

The boss noticed this, but she wasted no time waiting for the hired gun to come to his senses. She shot three of the monsters dead with three pulls of the trigger. Then she shot one's leg clear off, leaving the thing immobile and screaming. She was about to finish off the crippled one, until a hidden one made itself known. It seemed to avoid her altogether, and attacked MacCready, who still hadn't moved a muscle.

"What are you doing? Fight back!" She yelled, her tone was somewhat frightened.

He barely heard her, as he only saw the clouded eyes of the once human creature, and only felt its teeth sinking into his arm. Another one must've came and followed the other's lead, because there was an even greater sensation of his flesh tearing. He screamed in agony, trying to reach the gun strapped on his back. There was no way the boss would save him. She would just hire another gun. This was the end. It did some justice, he thought, because he would die just as Lucy had. He didn't protect her fast enough when the ferals ripped her apart, now the boss would leave him to die. Not that he was afraid of dying.

Then, what was left of creatures' brains exploded with two powerful bullets.

He was about ready to vomit, as he could feel the horrid slimy chunks all over his face and duster. He kept his eyes squeezed shut as more gun shots went off, and more of the creatures exploded on impact. There was dead silence for a second, which scared him more than anything. He was genuinely concerned that something would happen to his boss, and not just because she paid him. It had been almost a month of travelling together, and that morning was the first time they disagreed on anything. That was a new record, especially since he wasn't the easiest person to get along with.

He didn't open his eyes until he heard her ask, "What was that about?"

He opened his eyes, to see her approaching him with a worn piece of cloth in hand and brownish red goop stuck in her hair. She didn't seem to care about her own blood-drenched clothes. She wordlessly wiped off the gunk from his face. He thought that within the past few weeks of traveling with her, he'd gotten over her beauty, especially when she was covered in so many gross fluids. He was wrong. He tried to not make it clear how flustered he was that this beautiful woman was so close to him. Her actions were completely platonic and she was his employer, so he had to remain professional.

"Remind me never to let you around ferals again," She mumbled under her breath as she rolled up his bloody sleeve to assess his worst wound.

 _Agreed_. He wanted to say, but he only nodded. He was in such shock that he didn't realize his arm was bleeding heavily. It also could be because he didn't feel much of anything in the arm, which couldn't be a good sign.

"Heads up. I'm going to have to stimpak it," She informed, already reaching for her supply bag.

He wondered if she would charge him for her medical supplies, as other employers had. She was incredibly harsh with Paul earlier this morning, not long after she killed Trish. The profits were originally supposed to be split fifty-fifty, but she demanded seventy-thirty. She did do all the work, so MacCready agreed with her logic, but now the same callous behavior would cost him a few caps. He decided it would be fair if that was the case. He had been the one who screwed up. She had to save his life and sacrifice her own medical supplies so she wouldn't have a useless mercenary who couldn't shoot. Still, he winced a bit as the needle made contact with his skin. He always had been afraid of needles. Now he had to face two of his fears in one afternoon.

"You're awfully quiet. Even more so than usual," She suddenly noted as she bandaged his wound.

He was met with a searing pain that indicated a broken bone. He bit his tongue, trying to blink back tears, "I hate needles." He admitted.

She chuckled, her aquamarine eyes shining with teasing intentions. Had she forgotten what he said earlier? "Seems like you don't like ferals, either."

Even though she meant it to be light hearted, it only reminded him that he had failed at the one job he was good at, "Do you like ferals?" He shot back defensively.

She remained cool, "Not their number one fan."  
He just found it easier if he didn't respond to her. It was better than opening up to a woman he knew almost nothing about. He had no idea what to think about this woman. Just this morning she blew Trish's brains out without a second thought. But she was trying to protect herself and him, which was a good enough excuse. He treated her like she was a psychopath regardless. He honestly thought she would've dropped him after he treated her like that, but she didn't. Now, instead of watching him get ripped apart by ferals, she saved his life and was using her own supplies to heal his broken body. She didn't even seem to be overly annoyed or angry that he'd almost gotten himself killed. Instead, she sounded concerned. She carefully removed his duster to study his wounds.

She was able to read his expression well enough to place a hand on his shoulder for a few seconds, "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. I don't bite…" She grimaced a bit as she remembered his arm, "Too soon?" She asked with a scrunched-up nose.

He actually shocked himself by laughing a bit at her expression, "It's fine, boss."  
She waved her finger back and forth, "Remember what I said about the pleasantries?"

"Alice." He corrected himself. He would normally argue, but the woman had just saved his life, so he thought he'd give her this win. Even if he didn't, he knew by now that she'd win the argument, anyway. She always had.


	4. Chapter 4

Alice suggested visiting a few friends that were not too far away from Goodneighbor. She explained that the route to this place would be safer than the route to Diamond City, and the medical expenses would be cheaper.

"They owe me a bunch of favors," She explained as she supported his left side. The ferals had chewed up that leg, which made it difficult for him to walk. He didn't want to admit that it felt good; being so close to her. Her touch was comforting, but he stiffened himself up because this was still his boss. She would call him out for being the dog he was if she found out he liked her arm around his waist.

She was carrying on a conversation, trying to distract him from the pain that shot up his body with every step. She told him that she was an agent in this organization, called the Railroad. He had heard of it before but didn't know what to think of its objective. Saving the synths seemed a bit far-fetched and unnecessary to him. Of course, he was completely ignorant on the matter. The only synth he ever met was Nick, at least that's the only one he knew for sure was a synth. He agreed along with most of the Commonwealth that the Institute wasn't good. However, survival was always most important to him, so these concerns that Nick, Hancock, and Piper always talked about didn't bother him as much. He didn't care about the Minutemen or the Railroad when it came down to it, and the Institute had never given him a reason to fight against them. It was now obvious that Alice didn't think the same way.

"They threw Nick away like trash," she concluded about the Institute, "And those bastards…" Her eyes widened as she stopped talking abruptly.

"What?" He asked, realizing this was the first time he spoke in an hour.

She sighed a bit. The upset expression she had in the office with Nick resurfaced, "That's a story for another day."  
He knew there were so many secrets she was keeping from him, but he had a lot that he kept from her. He wondered who would end up revealing their baggage first, "Sure thing, b… Alice."

Making her smile when she was upset made him happier than he'd ever admit, "On a first-name basis with me huh? So you are learning."

They entered this old, disheveled church. She explained this was the top-secret hideout that he couldn't talk about to anyone. He didn't know why she said that, because it wasn't like he had any friends to talk to. In fact, she'd become the closest thing to a friend he had.

An underdeveloped, effeminate man greeted her, not paying attention to the injured man who was leaning very heavily on her, "Agent Whisper, it's been a few weeks. Got anything to report to Dez?"  
She was courteous but quick, "Yes, but as you can see I have another priority. I will discuss Augusta Safehouse with her after my friend is taken care of."

Friend? Clearly she didn't mean it. She was just trying to get him in to see this doctor. All the people in the area eyed him suspiciously but addressed the same sort of questions towards her as the man out front had.

She answered with the same reply every time, "Later, okay? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

She helped him towards an Indian man even smaller than the one out front, but this one appeared to be a lot less happy with Alice's return. The doctor's upper lip snarled when he saw her. His expression was one of distrust, "Agent Whisper, you've been MIA for quite some time."  
"No, I've been doing the work that you and Dez have sent me out on. I have things to report…"  
MacCready was about ready to lose it when this doctor not only ignored him- someone with a clearly broken limb- altogether, but interrupted her, "I know there's no specific timelines on these things, but your work should've been done two weeks ago. And you should know better than to bring friends down here…"

She had enough of the man's patronizing, "We were attacked by ferals this afternoon. I need you to do your job. Before you say you only offer your services to Railroad initiates, you should know that he's done more work for the cause than some of the members here. He's been valuable in helping me with my missions."

Over the past three weeks, they had been to a raider's den, where a deathclaw nearly cornered and sliced him in half. He must've missed the part where she explained why it was necessary for them to infiltrate this area. They also took down a few gunners in a tower, but he assumed it was for all the valuable items they found in the building. He didn't realize that she was actually doing things for this group of people, instead of doing them for herself.

She went to talk to the leader of the Railroad after giving Doctor Carrington a pile of caps, leaving MacCready alone with the bitter doctor. He did what he was supposed to do. He flushed his system of radiation, set his arm in place, and bandaged his mangled leg. But throughout the whole thing he seemed to get more joy out of insulting him than helping him.

"You're obviously not as skilled in combat as Whisper," the doctor spoke mostly to himself as he fixed the arm.

"I bet I can take you out, you miserable old man," MacCready grumbled back with a slightly damaged ego. He had made a mistake and didn't need to be reminded about it.

He scoffed, "Clearly you aren't as charming as her, either." He got out a piece of paper that had words written down. MacCready clenched his teeth, "Now, we're going to check for a head injury. Can you please read this line for me?"  
"No!" He detested a bit too loud. He looked over his shoulder, to find that Alice was nowhere in sight, "I never learned how to read." He informed with a heavy sigh.

This gave him more ammo to shoot at his self-esteem, "Clearly you're not the brains of the mission. How have you proven yourself to be so valuable?"

"By keeping her alive. Obviously the fu… freaking world revolves around her." He didn't mean it as an insult towards her, but it seemed like everywhere she went that's how people acted. Even Carrington regarded her as an important entity that should be protected at all costs. If she got shot in the liver, it was almost like everyone in the Commonwealth would pitch in to get her a new one. It made him somewhat angry when he realized that he was no different.

This was made even more apparent when he was very relieved that Alice came back to check on him. He could feel her soothing touch on his shoulder as she asked him how he felt. She had washed herself off; a clean, soapy smell radiated from her as she was standing so close to him. MacCready wanted to complain about his upset stomach, but he knew how that would make him sound. Alice was already doing so much for him. This was beyond what anyone else had ever done, and after he'd said she was flat-out nuts… Maybe she really was.

She assisted him onto a mattress to lie down, "Isn't Carrington such a wonderful human being?" She deadpanned.

"The best," he choked up sarcastically. The chems had reduced the sharp pain to a dull ache. She brought out two blankets and carefully draped them over his body. He closed his eyes, about ready to drift off to sleep, when he heard Alice's voice.

She clearly wasn't talking to him, but he couldn't help eavesdropping, "Hey Glory. What was your body count today?"

The woman, who he assumed was Glory, laughed somewhat maniacally, "Why do we do this, Whisper? We both know we lose count at ten."

"We're the Heavies, so this is how we bond. Sharing stimpaks and war stories," she replied. He could see the smirk without having to open his eyes.

"What's the deal with the merc?" Glory inquired, "It's not like you need a hired gun. Deacon's seen you take on fifteen Gen-1 synths at a time without getting a scratch. Are the two of you…"  
The tone in her voice was hesitant, "No, it's not like that. I need someone on road with me to keep my sanity. I hired him to watch my back, and that's what he's doing." There was confidence in her voice, like she meant what she said.

A man whose voice he heard before somewhere interjected the conversation, "You need intel, Glory? That's MacCready. Before working for Whisper he set up shop in Goodneighbor. He mostly does mercenary work, although he has quite the colorful past. Doesn't have the best reputation, either. 'Good aim, bad attitude' is what they say. Am I right?"

MacCready opened his eyes into slits, to see the male figure was none other than Deacon. He had a run-in with him once before, but now he was dressed as a completely different person. The only thing he hadn't changed was his face, but that was probably going to be fixed soon.

He only saw the back end of Alice from the angle he was lying, "That's what I thought at first, but I'm glad I hired him now."

Deacon found this amusing, "Okay, beautiful. Just don't get too attached."

"Detachment is my style, baby. But you should know that better than anyone, right?"

Alice and Deacon? Part of him wasn't that surprised. There was no way a girl like that hadn't broken a few hearts. Still, he felt a twinge of something he couldn't quite identify. He relaxed again once Deacon responded. It seemed like whatever they had was already over with, because he didn't sound amused, "Watch yourself. I've traveled with you before, so I know that you have a talent for getting in trouble."

Deacon must've left, because after a few seconds Glory whistled, "Wow, you're brutal. You can tell he's still not over you, either. I need to head out. There's a minigun that's itching to see the world."  
"Remember to continue our game," Alice advised.

She then made her way over towards him again, so he closed his eyes. She shook him on the shoulder gently and whispered sweetly, "You have my full attention now, hotshot."  
He opened his eyes and gave her a groggy smile. Then, the words escaped him, "What's a lawyer?"

She appeared amused, as she kneeled next to him, "How can I put this? Basically what I did was argue for a living, and I was damn good at it."

He chuckled a bit, even though he was still confused, "I bet you were. So lawyers are like mean caravan traders?"  
She broke out into laughter, even though he wasn't quite sure what she was laughing at, "You have the most interesting way of putting things. Sadly, there's not any use for them anymore."  
"Why is that?" He asked. He still wanted to have this conversation, but he was becoming very tired from all the chems in his system. While they were doing their wonders, it had pretty much wiped him out.

She noticed this, as she just gave him a soft smile, "I'll tell you another time when you aren't completely out of it."

He shivered, even though he had blankets layered over him, "Alice?" He called out without opening his eyes, hoping she was still there.

She was somewhat aghast that he was still cold. It didn't shock him as much. He always wore layers no matter what, but without all those layers of clothing his skinny figure chilled easily. He always was a bit underweight, but since he deserted the Gunners it had become ridiculous. Lucy would lose her mind if she could see him now, "Do you need more blankets?"

He blamed what he requested next fully on the drugs, "No. I need you to stay with me."

Even though he was out of it, he cursed himself for being this inappropriate. She had to say no. She was going to chew him out, or flat-out fire him. She didn't do any of those things. Instead he felt her warmth move into bed with him, "I'm here. Just try to get some rest, okay?"

He didn't think much of anything else. He involuntarily relaxed into her embrace and drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hope you're enjoying the story so far! This is my first ever stab at fanfiction, so feel free to give me constructive criticism. Happy reading! :)**

Alice lied there awake, as this mysterious young man was sound asleep. He was hugging her with his good arm, while the other one had been placed in a sling to cause less harm. She had no idea what MacCready meant to her, and honestly, she was terrified to find out the truth. As night fell, it marked the first month they had been traveling together. Still, the only things she knew about him was that he had a temper and a good aim. She wanted to know more about him, of course, but she wanted him to take his time. It was always her first instinct to bombard people with a ton of questions, so it was surprising she held her composure for this long.

He shifted a bit, slightly moaning. She checked to make sure the moan wasn't from pain, but it didn't seem like that was the case. There was a big reason why she hadn't told him about the past that Nick, Piper and even Preston were so familiar with. She was trying not to get attached, but as she was lying here with his face buried in the crook of her neck it was extremely hard. Usually it was so easy for her to remain detached. She honestly didn't think she'd end up feeling anything for a mercenary. She hired for the sole purpose of survival. However, within the first week she knew there was something that connected her to this man on a deeper level. Maybe it was an unidentified sense of lost hope or the fact that they were two broken souls trying to survive. She rolled her eyes. The answer was probably less poetic than those two options.

She thought she was getting better at distancing herself from him, until yesterday morning. She didn't mean to kill Trish. She honestly didn't want to kill her, but Hancock had informed her that Trish was working with the Triggermen, who always had it out for MacCready. Like with the Gunners, they believed he was operating in their territory, and didn't like their men even facing the possibility of losing jobs to him. Trish was even responsible for informing his clients about his history with the Gunners or making up stories of savage murder when the truth didn't hurt.

"Don't be shocked if one of these days, the kid ends up with a bullet in his head," Hancock had informed her, while taking a hit of jet.

Those words went through her head when she saw Trish and the Triggerman underlings. So what did she do? She killed all of them for a guy she didn't know the first name of.  
The look on his face was so horrified as he saw what she had done, which made it much harder to explain to reasoning behind it. So instead, she worked her actress magic, and made it seem like just a simple act of self-defense that he didn't understand. She was cruel, insulting his combat abilities when she knew it was the only thing he was proud of. She always was a bit arrogant, but she thought there would be some sort of end. Of course, it was hard without Nate to balance her out. He had always been her softer side; the one who always brought out the best in her with his quiet, gentle nature.

The night she met her husband was December 1, 2071. She was a twenty-two-year-old law student. Alice was always in the top of her class, not that it mattered anymore. It was a Saturday night, but instead of studying like all of her peers on the Dean's List, she was at a bar blowing off steam after a bitter fight with her then-boyfriend. Some old asshole was hitting on her, trying to find creative ways to feel her behind. She always chuckled a bit when remembering the details of the story. Then man's wife showed up and accused him of cheating on her with the pretty, young student; like Alice would ever be interested.

"Sorry bitch," Alice had told her, slurring her words, "To get a pass in my pants you have to be under thirty. Now take your creepy husband away from me before you both end up on this motherfucking floor."

The woman became hysterical after that, yelling choice words in Alice's face. One of the keys words was wackjob. She decided she didn't have to take this, so she punched her straight in the filthy mouth. She was about to hurt her worse, when a stranger pulled her away from the woman. She was about ready to slap this guy for touching her, until she saw how handsome the stranger was.

"Sorry ma'am," the young man told the woman, "but your husband was being very inappropriate with her. You should take your frustration out on him, because he was clearly harassing this girl."  
She was about ready to tell this guy that he needed to come up with a better explanation, until she realized the woman glanced at her husband and agreed. She actually went as far to apologize to Alice. The couple left not long afterwards, acting like nothing ever happened. Alice expected this strange man would leave too after the breaking up the fight.

She met the man's brown, glimmering eyes, which were directed right towards hers. She still technically had a boyfriend, but part of her didn't care that this dark-haired gentleman was still giving her attention. Still, she met him with her famous aloof attitude, "Unless you're going to buy me a drink, you should leave. You've done your good deed for the night."

He shook his head, giving her a dazzling grin. He got out a piece of paper, and wrote down a few numbers, "Not until I introduce myself. I'm Nate Bloomfield. And you are…"

"Alice Stonem," She informed him, trying not to blush as she shook his hand, "You know I could've handled her. I've never met someone I couldn't lay out."  
His laugh was so adorable that she didn't care about her boyfriend anymore. He already bored her to the point that she barely remembered his name. All she cared about was the man in front of her, "I believe that, but a little assistance never hurts. Let me know if you need my diplomatic services again."

He then gave her the piece of paper with his phone number on it, "Smooth. Do you do this every time you break up a bar fight?"  
He shrugged, blushing as he admitted, "Only when the girl is insanely attractive."

They talked all night, about his time in the army and her career aspirations. By four o' clock, she trusted him enough to let him drive her back to her apartment in the snow. She didn't fall in love with him that night. She never believed in falling for someone fast, but she couldn't deny the warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest as he got into his nuclear-powered car, waving at her as he drove away. There was never anyone else after that.

The first three months after she left Vault 111, she still somehow expected Nate to just show up, to have been somewhere else, searching for Shaun too. But she knew that was only a comforting lie. He was gone.

She checked the Pip-Boy that she always wore on her wrist. The current date was April 22, 2288. It had been almost six months since she woke from her cryogenic slumber to find the world that she knew had been destroyed by the bombs. Throughout her life before this, there was a looming threat of nuclear war. She never thought this apocalypse would ever happen, and if it did she figured she'd die along with everyone else. She was wrong about both of those things.

And God, did she hate being wrong.

She got so worked up that MacCready called her crazy, when she knew very well she was out of her mind. After watching Nate get murdered by Kellogg and that Institute scientist taking her baby boy out of her husband's dead hands, it was a miracle she didn't have a few more screws loose. She needed someone with her at all times, it seemed like, or else she'd completely lose it.

She finally fell asleep.

She jolted herself awake, only to find that MacCready was still in the same position that he was before. There was a slight bit of drool on her shirt, but it beat being covered head to toe in blood. A smile warmed her cheeks, as she couldn't help but feeling the same way she did when she first met Nate.

She cursed herself for this feeling.


	6. Chapter 6

"Remember, the doctor said not to move the arm for at least a week," Alice reminded him as she helped dress him in his many layers of clothing. Since he was bundled in so much clothing, she was never aware of how skinny the guy really was. It honestly concerned her a bit, when they were in the bed together she could feel his spine through his thin cotton shirt when she placed her hand on his back. Her worrying increased when Carrington lifted his shirt to check on the bites and she saw ribs poking out.

MacCready shot her a look with his puppy-dog eyes, "How am I supposed to make myself useful?"  
She was snarky with her reply, "By recovering. If you move that arm there's a chance you'll never shoot a gun again."

She could see that out of the corner of her eye that he appeared nervous, "Stay at my place in Diamond City for a few days." She suggested when he didn't speak.

She almost offered to stay with him, to take a week off. She knew it wouldn't be good for him to be alone for a full week. There was no one in the city that he'd talk to, or anyone who would be kind enough to keep him company besides maybe Vadim. She couldn't go around making promises like that, though.

There was the selfish part of her that just wanted to leave him there. She'd beg Nick to drop his work and accompany her. Since Nick was so selfless, it wouldn't be hard to convince him as long as he got a notice. It wasn't anything personal against MacCready. She just had so much she had to do.

Her main priority was entering the Glowing Sea to find Virgil. It sounded like a suicide mission, but this runaway Institute scientist would bring her one step closer to finding the elusive organization who had already robbed her of ten years with her son. She wasn't going to bring MacCready even if he was able-bodied, since she was convinced his scrawny body would succumb to radiation poisoning rather quickly. Nick was immune to radiation and was aware why she needed to plunge into a radioactive sea of monsters. Also, after seeing how MacCready froze up with those ferals, she knew it would be plain cruel to expose him to a countless population of the things. She didn't want to put him in a situation that would jeopardize his life.

She thought it over numerous times as they were walking and decided that she'd stay with him for three days then see how he healed. She'd make a clear choice then.

They reached Diamond City a few minutes after her decision. She unlocked her modest city apartment. His leg was better already, but since it was still weak she helped him up the stairs and into her bed. When she realized it had been a full day since either one of them had eaten anything, she left briefly to buy two servings of noodles. It was somewhat comical to watch him eat, because he had broken his right arm and he was trying to use chopsticks with his left hand. A large portion of the bowl ended up on his jacket. Alice found that it lost its comical relief after a while, so with a huff she took his utensils and made him use a fork. He was still clumsy with it, but at least most of the food made it into his mouth.

She took a seat on the armchair next to him, idly taking a bite out of her own food. MacCready broke the silence, "This is nice. Goodneighbor was starting to wear out its welcome."

"Sounds like you had a rough time of it out there," She absent-mindedly agreed. Her mind was focused on her baby, and the organization that took him away from her. What was she still doing here? She couldn't wait. She would go in naked and acquire all the grotesque mutations known to mankind if it meant she'd get him back safe.

"Rough is putting it mildly," He replied. The sincerity in his voice made her perk up a bit, "Let's put it this way. Can't get much rest when you're sleeping with one eye open," He had positioned himself up towards her, resting his body on his good arm. Surprisingly, he continued talking, "Still it was the best place for me to set up shop."  
He went on to explain the reasoning behind working in Goodneighbor, even though Alice knew already why he'd taken up in the town. She knew about his agreement with Hancock, because she'd discussed it at length with the ghoul. In fact, she got most of her information second-hand from him. She wanted to know who she was working with, and she had her ways of getting it. MacCready seemed to get slightly offended when she told him that caps weren't everything.

"I don't usually go around sharing stuff like this, but you've been pretty straight with me, so I'm going to be straight with you. It's those two assh… those two idiots you saw me talking to at the Third Rail, Winlock and Barnes."  
She remembered them particularly well. She knew something ugly could happen with those two men in the picture. In fact, she'd almost turned around with Nick and left the place while eavesdropping on the conversation. She didn't really want to get involved in the situation; she just needed a hired gun. Now she was glad she didn't turn around, "You mean the fucker I threatened to use as target practice?"

He gave a cute little chuckle, "If only you did."

He informed her that they'd been tracking him for months, driving off clients. He thought that if he got enough caps together, which was an impossible feat in itself, that he could buy them off.

He'd never held eye contact with her for this long. His eyes were a clear, lovely shade of soft blue. She could feel herself sinking deeper into them, "I wouldn't trust those guys, even if you paid them off."

"Yeah… I'm right there with you. Winlock and Barnes have a small army of Gunners with them at all times. They might decide to just keep the caps and put a bullet in my head for good measure. If I set up a place to meet them, I'm sure they'd roll in with everyone they've got." He bowed his head down for a moment, appearing to study the wooden boards of the floor.

Then, his voice lightened up as an epiphany struck his face, "Unless…" He brought his head back up to meet her face with anxious eyes, "Maybe you and I could pay them a little visit and put an end to them before they realize what's going on."

Alice was astonished, but still let him communicate his reasoning. That never came. What he did say was much more compelling, "Before you get that look on your face, let me just say that I wouldn't even be asking if I didn't trust you."

She could see that he was bracing himself from rejection. She didn't have the heart to tell him anything but, "If you need my help, I'm there."

She had never seen anyone more shocked about anything. It took him a few seconds to find the words, "I haven't been able to rely on anyone since I was a kid. Everyone I've met has either tried to rip me off or plant a knife in my back. But you… You're different. We see eye-to-eye on almost everything. I have a funny feeling you actually care about what happens to me."  
Was it really that shocking for him to think that someone cared about him? She listened to him some more, as he told her where the men were held up. Alice agreed that she'd help again, but only when he was physically able to accompany her.

"It's nice to know that you care," He concluded, giving her a genuine smile. She noticed the first time they met that he was missing a couple of his teeth, but that didn't deter her. It could be much worse. She'd seen wastelanders with teeth that had rotted out of their skulls. Oral hygiene seemed to be a small concern for many people, considering most didn't have food or clean drinking water.

She matched his expression, then reached out to place her hand over his, "Of course. Would you like to get a drink with me later, hotshot?"

She cringed a bit at herself, then recoiled her hand. It had been ages since she really flirted with someone she liked, so the words came out rusty. He didn't seem to mind, "Thought you'd never ask."

After a couple of hours, they made their way over to Dugout Inn. Vadim was there, greeting both of them with a dopey smile and thick Russian accent, "Old friend MacCready! Does Lucy know you're travelling with another beautiful woman? She would be jealous of Alice, yes?"

Grief registered across his face, until he sunk into the barstool, "Things… ended."

Alice was curious but tried not to think much of it. She knew it was most likely an old girlfriend of his, maybe one who treated him badly. He did seem to have a hard time believing that she was there for him, someone who only earned his trust when she saved his life. Maybe that was a reason why. Besides, she didn't want to think that he'd been through anything like she'd experienced with Nate. She wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy, much less a friend.

"I'm so sorry, friend. You and Alice get famous moonshine on the house," Vadim offered, ashamed for even bringing it up.

"Thanks, Vadim. You always were a real stand-up guy." He gloomily mumbled.

He was still obviously hurt by whatever happened between him and this woman. Alice bit her bottom lip. Why didn't he tell her there was someone else? When she flirted with him earlier, it didn't seem to make him uncomfortable. He also clearly said that the relationship had ended between them. It would be much easier to understand him if he communicated and stopped treating everything like it was a business transaction. Maybe that would only come with time.

Alice bought the two of them drinks that wouldn't make them go blind. She noticed MacCready was just staring at the label of his own bourbon, not even drinking it. She took a swig of her own. "You okay, Mac?" She asked, giving him a playful tap on his left arm.

His shoulders jumped; he was clearly startled. He blushed in response to scaring so easily, "Never heard you call me that before."  
She shrugged, propping her elbow on the counter, "MacCready was starting to become a mouthful. Unless there's a first name you'd rather go by."  
He was dodging around the main issue- not that Alice wanted to talk about it- but at least she was putting him in a better mood, "Mac's fine for now, but I'll let you know if I want you to switch it up."

She internally rolled her eyes. Of course, he would still refrain from telling her his first name. One of these days, she would just have to blatantly ask him. The subtle hints weren't working, "Guess you'll have to keep me in the loop."

He started to sip his drink, "Will do."

This might have not been the best of times, but she decided that it was time he knew a bit about who he was working for, "Do you want to hear something that'll make you really call me a nutcase?"  
He mimicked a finger gun with his free hand, "Shoot."  
She looked straight into his eyes, deciding to go through with this, "I'm 238 years old."


	7. Chapter 7

Alice watched as MacCready's eyes were clouded in disbelief, "Yeah, that's a good story. Has Hancock talked you into taking chems? That would mean you lived before the war."

She pressed her lips into a thin line as his mouth gaped open, "Wait, you can't be saying…"  
"I'm a pre-war relic," She confirmed, relieved he hadn't insulted or completely blown up on her. People weren't always the nicest to her when they heard she lived before the war. A few people had taken the liberty to call her out for lying, when reading Piper's article that talked about her unusual circumstances. She couldn't tell if it was out of jealousy, skepticism or fear.

He hadn't called her insane, but he wasn't entirely receptive to the news, "Daisy was alive before the war, so I know it's not impossible. But she's a ghoul and you're…" He stopped himself before he could finish, so she assumed he was going to compliment her appearance. She didn't understand why he was always so bashful around her. Sure, he was small, but he would be considered handsome even by pre-war standards with his brilliant blue eyes, sculpted cheekbones and incredible jawline.

Alice took it as her cue to speak, "I was frozen in cryo the day the bombs fell. When I woke up, it was 210 years later."

He ran his finger around the rim of his bottle, "Is that why there's no use for those lawyer things anymore?"

She was honestly shocked he'd remembered that conversation, because he was heavily under the influence of painkillers, "Yeah, there needs to be a justice system to employ lawyers," She explained, "It's a pain in the ass, too. I wouldn't have gone through all that school if I knew I'd only use my degree for three years. I didn't really expect to end up in this situation."

At least he found that funny, "Talk about a rude awakening."

He was surprisingly understanding for someone who had no idea what the world was like before it ended. This was all he ever knew, so Alice didn't expect him to understand any of it. She thought he'd just superficially go over it in his head, then change the subject and never bring it up again. That's what Preston did when she explained everything, which is probably why she refused to be the general of the Minutemen when he offered, "I really can't imagine what that would be like. I have to ask. If you lived before then how'd you learn to shoot like that?"

"My dad was a complete gun nut and taught me when I was a little girl how use one to defend myself. He was convinced that in my lifetime the world would end. I always thought he was crazy but turns out he was right." She sighed miserably, once she remembered what a good man her father was, "He always was right."

"Sounds like you take after your father."

"You're sweet for saying that, but a lot of the time I think I'm more like my mother. She was a smart-ass, too." They shared a laugh, then he took a large gulp of alcohol. She couldn't help but ask, "How about you? How are you a product of your parents?"

His tone was cold yet casual as he answered, "I wouldn't know. I never knew my parents."

Alice managed to hide her feelings of sympathy behind her aloof demeanor, "So you weren't bluffing when you said you've never been able to rely on anyone since you were a kid?"

He shrugged, "I've learned not to rely on anyone."  
After drawing out a long breath, Alice stood on her feet. She took his hand, pulling him up with her. She inched herself close to him, "When you get better, we're going to track down those assholes. Then, they're going to pay."

The last time she made a promise that serious, it was over Nate's body when she promised she'd avenge his killer and find their son.

His eyes widened, "Shi…shoot you're terrifying when you're serious."

On the walk back to her apartment, he listened tentatively as she reminisced about the wonders of yesterday. He learned about how Diamond City itself used to be her favorite ballpark. She even went into detail, telling him about the time her dad brought her and her two younger siblings to Boston to see the Red Socks play; when she decided that when she grew up, Boston would be her home. At one point in the walk, his hand grazed over hers, but it was obvious that this was intentional. She responded not with words but grabbing the hand and squeezing it.

His cheeks grew beet red, "I guess you never stop making memories."

For a split second, she really wanted to kiss him. She wanted to forget everything else and just feel her lips against his. Then she remembered how pitiful he was when Vadim mentioned Lucy. It didn't matter what happened there, she didn't ever want to make him as miserable as this girl made him. She won the lottery by making Nate happy, and she likely wouldn't ever get so lucky again. With this thought, the moment passed and their hands separated.

A couple of hours later, Alice found herself wanting to slap MacCready instead of kiss him.

"We're going to have to wash your cuts, or else they'll get infected!" Alice was on the verge of yelling, exasperated that he was being so stubborn. She'd already filled the cracked bathtub in her apartment with hot water, which was a tedious task in itself. It probably made him uncomfortable to be naked in front of her, but there was no other way that the deep cuts could be washed. Only God knew how long it had been since he received a good hosing down. He hadn't even touched water since his encounter with the ferals; he still had chunks of visceral matter in his masses of unruly dirty hair and he was starting to smell like decay.

He had taken his army-green cap off voluntarily for the first time since they'd met after some coaxing. She'd helped take off a jacket, scarf, shirt, trousers, thick socks and boots; leaving him in an undershirt and boxers. He wouldn't allow anything else to come off when she was in the room. Since his arm was in a sling, it would be very hard for him to take his clothes off by himself. It wasn't like Alice enjoyed doing all of this.

"I'm perfectly fine washing myself," He objected.

Alice was about to argue some more, until she remembered something she read out of a parenting book when she was pregnant with Shaun. The best way to learn was through being wrong, "Fine, but I'm not going far."

She left for a few minutes, where she figured he took his remaining clothes off without much issue. There was a crashing sound, which had her coming back in. As expected, the idiot's weak leg caused him to stumble while trying to submerge himself in the water. Alice grabbed his hand, trying not to take a peak at him while he was in this compromising position, "Knew that was going to happen. Now we're going to do things my way."

He grumbled but didn't object she lowered him into the bathtub. When a soap bar was taken to his hair she was shocked to find that his hair was actually a shade of dishwater blond, as opposed to reddish brown. She had no idea what his hygiene habits were before he met her, but it was clear that they were almost nonexistent.

She washed his back, which was a kaleidoscope of bruises that were arranged from newly formed purple to almost-healed brown. She took a second to delicately wash the sunken-in divots of his shoulder blades and ridges of his spine, "I don't know how people looked back in your day, but I'm not sick… If that's what you're wondering." He mumbled.

Alice held in an annoyed sigh, but it was towards herself. She knew enough of his history that she shouldn't have been surprised. Before she employed him, he was broke. He had shared with her that he barely had the caps for one meal a day. He probably didn't have it much easier before he plummeted into the deep debt that faced him now, considering he never had anyone to take care of him when he was a kid. When she was a kid, everything was handed to her on a silver platter. She grew up in a beautiful house in Massachusetts, where she was raised by a loving family. She got accepted into her dream school. She met the love of her life on that cold night in December. By age twenty-eight, she was a rising star in her law firm. She thought it was a hard decision to stay the extra hours, leaving her newborn at home with Nate.

She had no right to judge him or belittle him like she'd been doing. She couldn't imagine how hard growing up in the wasteland was, "I'm sorry, Mac. It's not that. It's been over 200 years since I've seen a man naked."

That was true. She slept with Deacon once, which was a long, regrettable story, but it was pitch-black that night. The last man she really saw naked was Nate, "At least someone's trying to enjoy themselves."

"Yeah, because this is my idea of a fun Friday night."

She took the sponge to the deep bites on his stomach. He hissed as the soap hit the scabby wounds, "Some of these will leave interesting scars once they heal," She told him, as her face met his.

He was silent for a second, his teeth slightly chattering because the water was starting to cool down, "Can I at least wash my dic... ding-dong?" He begrudgingly asked.

If she was being honest with herself, she thought his euphemism for his privates was one of the funniest things she'd heard in a long time, "Gladly. But yell for me when you want to get out. I'd rather you not have a head injury, too."

A little while later, he was bundled back into her bed with extra blankets on top of him.

 _It was easier to care for a newborn._ Her eyes widened as her stomach churned. What was she doing here? She never made a promise to nurse MacCready back to health. The only promise she made was to Nate, to find their son. Even if she never made a promise, Shaun was the most important thing to her. She would give everything to see her baby again- to hold him in her arms. Every second she wasted her son was in the hands of the Institute. Those sick bastards were doing only God knows what to him… Whatever was happening to him was much more significant than a careless merc that got himself mauled by ferals. She'd done her part by saving his life and bringing him back to safety. She didn't have to wait on him hand and foot like a doting housewife. That wasn't ever her style, even when she was married.

The decision she was supposed to make days later was made in that instant.

She informed him that she was going to sleep on the couch downstairs, but instead she rushed over to Nick's agency.

As soon as his fluorescent eyes met hers, she knew what had to be done, "Hey Nick, how soon can you head out?"

He stood up, "My case is done unless you have any reason to stay here."

She shook her head. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she had to find Virgil. The reminiscing reminded her that she needed to find her son, "No, I don't. That's what I was hoping to hear."

As she went back to her place to pack supplies, guilt was gnawing at her conscience. Quickly, she resolved this feeling by writing MacCready a note.

Mac,

I'm so sorry to leave you like this, but I have to do something very important. I'll explain it to you when I get back. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm only going to be gone for three days at most. Just stay here and heal.

-Alice


	8. Chapter 8

It was frigid in the dead of January 2284. On the road to Lucy's mother's homestead in what used to be Washington DC, their six-month-old son Duncan had taken a fever. It would be another three hours of walking through the Capital Wasteland. Since the young parents were exhausted because the wailing infant had kept them awake for over 48 hours, they agreed on spending the night in an abandoned metro station, to hopefully get some rest.

The lovebirds decided to tie the knot after Lucy found out she was pregnant with MacCready's child. She was the one who smoothed down his rough edges; holding him when his temper would flare up and talking him off the edge of the storm. She completed him- made him whole. The family that he'd built was the thing he regarded most precious in this world.

Nineteen-year-old MacCready was about to nod off, when his wife tapped him on the shoulder. Her ash-blonde hair was tousled in every direction, but she was still stunning to him. She was holding Duncan up to her petite body like her life depended on it, "I think I finally got him down, babe."

"Then you're a fucking miracle worker," He replied sleepily. He laid back down on the sleeping bag, covering himself with the blanket they'd packed. He'd set his rifle beside him, not really planning on using it.

Her doe-like hazel eyes tensed. She didn't have too much of a problem with her husband's volatile tongue until he became a father, "You know I love you, but watch the language. You don't want our son's first word to be the f-bomb."

He didn't respond. Instead he closed his eyes for a second, until Lucy called his name again, "Can you take care of Duncan for a second? I'm going to find kindling for the fire."

He was so tired, that he didn't even think to ask if she had a gun on her. Instead, he gave her a sluggish grin, "Sure."

His son was placed in his arms, and he received a kiss on the forehead, "I won't be gone for long."

He was woken up by Lucy's screaming.

He jumped into action, still holding the infant close while grabbing his gun. He was met with the sight of at least five ferals surrounding the girl that he loved; ripping her right in front of his eyes. The one time he really needed to aim and shoot, he couldn't get a clear shot without a risk of shooting her in the process. By the time he shot two of them she was already dead, but that didn't stop him from grasping onto the hope that he could save her. He only gave up when the monsters darted towards him and his son…

He woke up with a scream of his own stuck in his throat. That night was four years ago, and he still had nightmares about it more often than he'd like. He sat up, remembering that he was now in Alice's bed. He almost died in a similar way as Lucy, but because of her he was warm, safe and very much alive.

He made the conclusion that it was early morning by judging the amount of light that hit the windowsill. His most recent travelling partner was never a morning person, but he if he was being honest with himself, he needed her right now. As much as she pretended like she didn't care, she'd done more for him than anyone… apart from Lucy. He gulped, wondering if he should tell her about his dead wife and the reason why he was out here in the Commonwealth instead of with his son.

That never happened, because he soon made the discovery that he was alone. The couch didn't even look like it had ever been slept on. Why would she lie to him? He tried to hold his panic and rationalize that she'd gone into the market to get food and supplies. So he waited for at least an hour before he grew anxious.

After another hour, his anxiety turned into disappointment. He was foolish to think for a second that she ever cared about him. He'd seen for herself just how easily she could manipulate other people into doing her bidding. The facts against her were piling up in his head. She was an agent in the Commonwealth's most secret organization. She messed around with Deacon; a Railroad agent known for deception. She had the mayor of Goodneighbor and two prominent citizens of Diamond City high on her friends list. A woman like that _had_ to have a hidden agenda.

He stomped his good leg so hard it almost broke the rickety floorboard beneath him. He was such an idiot for believing her! He even opened up to her, going on about his past with the Gunners. The moron even asked for her help! He let out a long huff as he couldn't help but go to the worst-case scenario. What if she only kept him alive, earned his trust, so that she could sell him out to Winlock and Barnes? If that was the case, he might as well put a pistol in his mouth, pull the trigger and hope someone discovers his body quickly.

He chewed on his lip, trying to calm himself down. He needed to trust that she'd never do that to him. There was too much sincerity in her tone, when she promised she'd help him. If she really didn't care about him, would she have held his hand like that? Would she have bothered to save his life if she thought he was disposable? He wanted to believe that she cared about him, because he forgot how nice it was for someone to be there for him. The most recent event had shown that Alice didn't care about MacCready as much as he'd hoped, which cut him much deeper than he'd ever like to admit.

Then, he came across the piece of paper that had been left on the counter. Although he had no idea what the letters on the page meant, but he could recognize Alice's distinct handwriting from a mile away. He tried not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help but be a little relieved that she had at least remembered him when she left. His heart sank as he realized there was no way he could actually know what the note said. For all he knew, she had ran away for good, and he'd never hear from her again. He told himself it wouldn't hurt him if that was the reality.

Not far away from the note, there was a ring equipped a sparkling rock that he assumed to be a diamond, although he'd never seen one in real life. He picked it up; holding it delicately between two fingers. There was an elaborate engraving on the inside of the ring that he couldn't even begin to decipher. His first instinct was to sell it to a caravan trader, but it struck his as a glamorous version of the brass wedding band that he used to wear. It must've belonged to Alice, and it must've had some value to her.

She hadn't shared with him that she was ever married, but he'd just learned yesterday that she was over 200 years old. Would it really be that shocking if she failed to disclose a husband? If that was the case, then why was she not with him? He found a spot for it in the pocket of his duster, just in case it was something she was going to pawn anyways.

His stomach grumbled. Since Alice had given him a generous sum of caps as his payment earlier in the week, he figured he'd head to the market to buy food. He didn't have much trouble bargaining with the shopkeepers, because although he was illiterate, he knew about numbers. He'd learned from experience how to add and subtract numbers in his head so well that his bosses would ask him about certain transactions when they were trading.

Afterwards, he had plenty of caps left. After he left the Gunners for his own moral reasons, he wondered many times if he'd made a mistake because of how dirt poor he became. Even if Alice wasn't there for him emotionally, it was clear that this was the best job he ever had. He left the market with his items secured in his knapsack, lost in the same trail of thought, when he heard his name called.

Piper had the same skeptical expression as the last time she encountered him, so he was surprised that she skipped past the insults, to ask, "What are you doing here without Blue?"

He pointed at his broken arm, "She left last night. I guess she thought that I'm dead weight, since I can't shoot right now." He let out an agitated sigh. She wrote papers for a living, so he knew she could help; if she was willing. He took the note out of his pocket and gave it to her, "She did leave me this note, but I'm… I don't know what it says."

He really expected the girl to berate him or call him out for being uneducated, but instead she gave him a compassionate nod, "That's not a problem," she opened the note, but read it to herself first.

After her eyes scanned over the words, she let out a slight gasp, "What's wrong?"  
She cracked a smile as she made eye contact with him, "Nothing bad. I can just tell she really cares about you, which is kind of weird… considering. Hell, Nick inserted a foreign object in his brain for her and you've still one-upped him. Impressive."  
His jaw dropped open, but he tried to not appear like he was an idiot who didn't understand how special this was, "Well what does it say?" He asked impatiently.

She finally read through it aloud, "I think I know what she's doing." She disclosed.

He realized just how pathetic he sounded, but he couldn't help it, "What?"

Piper was hesitant, "This will sound crazy to you, and believe me she has her reasons, but I have a hunch she left with Nick to go into the Glowing Sea…"

MacCready never was one to be patient, but now he couldn't wait for her to finish. He had to speak his mind, "You're right. That would be insane. What reason would she have to go there?"

Her temper was worse than his, "Hey! Don't interrupt me, pal." She collected herself with a sigh, "Listen, you're going to have to take that up with her. Blue always holds herself to her word. She said she was going to explain it to you, so she will. If she wasn't, then she would just keep you in the dark."

MacCready nodded, then remembered the other thing that he'd put in his pocket. He showed her the ring. Before he even said anything, Piper sucked all the air out of the room. She was either a huge drama queen or something was very wrong, "What is it with this thing?"

Her palm was on her forehead as she explained, "That's her wedding ring. She always has it with her… it's a grieving thing, I guess. If she realizes she doesn't have it… Well you've seen how crazy she can be, right?" He verified this with a nod, "She'll go absolutely batshit if she thinks she lost it."

Piper might've not completely understood why Alice would carry this around all the time, but MacCready did. He still carried around the wooden toy soldier that Lucy made for him when they first started dating. He had no idea what he'd do if he misplaced the little piece of Lucy he always had with him. She gave the ring back to him, and now that he knew the significance of it he wouldn't let it go, "Let's hope she doesn't realize it's gone."

He was about to walk towards the apartment, until Piper called his attention again, "You have some time on your hands. I'd like to interview you. Get some… perspective on the life of a merc."

"Sure… Whatever."

He couldn't help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive behind it. He never read her paper, but he heard enough to figure she'd put some sort of obnoxious spin on whatever he had to say.

As soon as he could get away, he closed himself off in Alice's residence and stared at the ring. He had more in common with her than he originally thought.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been four days of trekking across the Commonwealth. Alice was now in the worst of the Glowing Sea. She'd fought countless ferals, but other than that there were no signs of life. The radiation was even worse than she imagined; the air was nearly choking her through the slits of her power armor. Alice was thankful that Nick persuaded her to stop by Sanctuary to get this saving grace. She didn't want to before, because with that stop the journey was an extra day long. This was tacked on to the time she'd return to Diamond City, where MacCready was waiting for her. She hoped he wouldn't be too worried about her absence, although she convinced herself he probably didn't care. In fact, he was probably enjoying a break from her bullshit.

She knew she estimated the length of the trip very wrong, and her supplies were dwindling faster than she ever anticipated. To make matters worse, she never expected to get lost in the area, even though she should've factored that possibility in. It would be at least two more days before she saw him again. Not that it mattered to her… She would rather chew off her two thumbs than admit the truth, but at the same time she was done lying to herself.

She wished MacCready was here with her instead of Nick.

She knew it made more rational sense for her radiation-resistant synth friend to accompany her, but he never did go along with her antics very well. For example, he gave her fatherly lectures when she drank too much of the vodka they carried as a disinfectant. MacCready would've made a stupid joke that she inexplicably found funny, then ask for her to share.

For about another hour, the two dealt with the howling wind and scorching heat. Under her power armor Alice was losing fluids fast, but she knew she had to ration her water. A positive of traveling with Nick was that she didn't have to share her supplies to keep him alive. Still, his amount of purified water was already dwindling. If they were lost for a few more hours she would have to start forcing the radioactive sludge on the ground down her throat to get some sort of hydration. That would have to be a last resort. She didn't want to risk growing more limbs and less hair.

Not long after she was starting to panic about the lack of resources, Nick's observation skills proved to be useful, "Is that… civilization?"

She squinted, spotting the buildings in the distance. There were tiny moving specks that looked like… people? Probably a village of ghouls that were driven out here by the anti-ghoul bigots of the Commonwealth. She never really understood why so many humans had a problem with them. She wasn't even from this era of human history, yet the first time she saw Daisy while coming into Goodneighbor she wasn't even frightened. She thought she was a burn victim, instead of the monsters that the Diamond City mayor painted them as. She had her favorite pistol ready; she could never be too sure that they would be friendly.

When they approached the disheveled settlement, she was shocked to find that these were humans; dressed in rags and dust. How had the radiation not killed them?

A particularly brave woman with matted hair and insanity-plagued eyes stopped the duo and asked them about their allegiance to Atom.

Alice rolled her eyes as this scenario started to make more sense to her. Only a group of Atom fanatics would ever be moronic enough to set up their settlement in an irradiated crater. She was about to comment on their idiocy, but she kept her mouth shut once she remembered that an aggressive verbal attack could drive them back to where they were; lost in the Glowing Sea. Nick was much more diplomatic, anyways.

"My friend and I here are looking for a man named Virgil," He explained as he tipped his battered fedora towards the lady.

Alice still couldn't stop herself from cringing as the woman opened her mouth enough to show her rotten teeth, "And what do you want from this Virgil?"

Alice stepped in to talk to the nutcase because she was aware that Nick would be too nice. Besides, she was in a huge suit of power armor that concealed her identity perfectly. There was never a better time to intimidate, "I have a Fat Man strapped to my back and I've been itching to test it out. Unless you want your little shanty town to get nuked, I suggest you comply. Just point us to where he's holed up and we'll gladly forget we ever stopped by here."

The woman quivered a bit at the faceless figure, "Very well."

She gave directions to a cave that was a thirty-minute walk at most, and they were on their way.

"Was that brutality necessary?" Nick scolded when the settlers were out of earshot.

As much as she appreciated everything her friend had done for her, she couldn't help but get exasperated at his whole self-righteous act every once in a while, "It's not like I'd actually deliver my threat. We just needed the information, and because of me we have it."

"Was it really worth scaring them senseless, though?" Nick rebutted.

A sarcastic response was always best, as far as she was concerned, "I'll just extend an olive branch the next time I pay them a visit."

She was met by aggravated silence, but she didn't let that bother her too much. They wouldn't let this disagreement ruin their friendship, because they'd simply done too much for each other. Because of her, his fiancée's killer had been put in the ground. To return the favor, they tracked down Kellogg with a little help from her unnamed dog. Once Alice had lodged a bullet in the man who murdered Nate, they knew that their debts were even. Under different circumstances, they probably wouldn't be able to stand each other. But in this strange world a friendship between polar opposites had been formed, and the two were equally grateful for each other.

She knew that if Nate was still here, he'd approve of Nick as well. As soon as she thought about her late husband, she wanted to take a moment to hold in her hands the only tangible symbol of the man she loved. Her mind went to the worst possibility once she realized she didn't have the ring with her. There was a slight chance she carelessly left it at the apartment before she, but even she couldn't have been that forgetful. With her luck, it had disappeared into the scorched earth of the Glowing Sea. If she lost it in the somewhat habitable wasteland, it wouldn't have a happier ending. A scavenger would come across the ring and see it as an opportunity to make caps. Some wealthy Upper Stands-type would buy what they'd think is a pre-war relic and take out the engraving to depersonalize their purchase.

Tears welled in her eyes. She tried to suppress them, but when it came to this she couldn't think rationally. Her mind went too wild, as she started sobbing from underneath her metal mask. She kept herself busy- kept herself going, but that didn't help her get over the one man she ever loved. How long had she been walking without the one symbol of Nate's devotion to her? She was never one for sentiments, until she lost her steadying force. The ring represented the stability that Nate brought the otherwise erratic, careless woman. She thought destroying the monster who pull the trigger on him would solve things, but it didn't.

Nate was still dead. Her son was still gone.

Since Nick couldn't see the emotional turmoil she was going through, he didn't say anything until she collapsed onto her knees and screamed uncontrollably. He was about to console his friend, until a roar was heard in the distance. Alice leaped onto her feet as she turned around to see a heavily mutated deathclaw with razor-sharp talons raging towards them.

Nick was about to run, until he noticed that Alice was standing there, "Let's get out of here."

Tears still pulled down her eyelashes, "Get out of the way. I want to try something."  
As the monster was getting close, she got out the Fat Man. She'd never actually used this thing before, but she wanted to test the nuke launcher anyways.

"Cut it out, Alice!" Nick yelled, reluctantly inching away, "You're too close!"  
Alice was aware, even in that moment, that what she was about to do could kill her, but she was apathetic. Nothing she'd done in her past life mattered anymore. The only thing would make a difference was if she found her son, but even then it wouldn't make things right. Knowing that this breath could be her last, she released the lever, launching the nuke straight into the thing.

As the explosion set off, it violently threw Alice's five-foot-nine, 140-pound frame backwards like she weighed absolutely nothing. While she was in the air screaming at the top of her lungs, her mind was riddled with regret. She just sealed her own tomb with one rash decision. Now her precious baby would suffer under the hands of the Institute because of his mother's recklessness. Her final vow to Nate to get Shaun back would never be fulfilled.

Then, right before she made impact with the ground, for some unorthodox reason she remembered MacCready. More specifically, she remembered the promise she made to him… The promise that had been nothing more than wasted breath.

She didn't think after her body crashed into the surface of the earth.


End file.
